Data processor and storage medium

ABSTRACT

A non-transitory computer-readable medium for recording a program allowing a computer to execute: determining whether first identification information of the computer matches with second identification information stored in the computer-readable medium connected to the computer; executing a process stored in the computer-readable medium upon the determining that the first identification information and the second identification information do not match; selecting a communication unit from one or a plurality of communication units included in the computer; and transmitting third information regarding the execution of the process using the selected communication unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of theprior Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-237587, filed on Oct. 14,2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The embodiments discussed herein are related to a storage medium storinga program that notifies the execution of a certain process applied todata stored in the storage medium and a data processor thereof.

BACKGROUND

A storage medium such as a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and a memory areconnected to a data processor such as a personal computer and a mobilephone. Some of the data processors permit certain users to read datastored in the storage device. Such data processor prevents data leakage,for example, by performing a user authentication, thereby prohibitingunauthorized users from reading data stored in the storage device. Thestorage device connected to the data processor may be removed from thedata processor and may be connected to another data processor that doesnot perform a user authentication. In this case, data stored in thestorage device may be read by the data processor that does not perform auser authentication and may be leaked to an unauthorized user. Moreover,even if data stored in the storage device is encrypted and a password isset, the password may be analyzed and thereby the data may be decryptedafter the storage device is connected to another data processor.

Fujitsu Laboratories' “Fujitsu Develops Secure USB Memory DeviceFeaturing Automatic Data-Erase Function” Apr. 17, 2009 press releasediscusses a storage device that performs a leakage prevention processsuch as erasing data stored on the storage device when the storagedevice is connected to a data processor that is different from aregistered data processor. Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No.2007-323149 discusses a storage device that notifies the occurrence ofunauthorized access to an external device when the unauthorized accessesto a storage device from an unregistered data processor reaches orexceeds a specified number of times.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided anon-transitory computer-readable medium for recording a program allowinga computer to execute: determining whether first identificationinformation of the computer matches with second identificationinformation stored in the computer-readable medium connected to thecomputer; executing a process stored in the computer-readable mediumupon the determining that the first identification information and thesecond identification information do not match; selecting acommunication unit from one or a plurality of communication unitsincluded in the computer; and transmitting third information regardingthe execution of the process using the selected communication unit.

The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attainedby at least the features, elements and combinations particularly pointedout in the claims.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and arenot restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a data storage system;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating hardware and functions of aregistered personal computer (PC) according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating stored content of a storage unit of asecure hard disk drive (HDD);

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a record layout of a connectiondestinations list;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating functions of a conventional HDD;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating hardware of a server device;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a registration process;

FIGS. 8A to 8C illustrate operation overviews when the secure HDD isconnected to a registered PC or an unregistered PC;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process of an authenticationprogram according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an unregistered PC notificationprocess according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a registered PC notificationprocess;

FIGS. 12A to 12C illustrate operation overviews when the secure HDD isconnected to the registered PC or unregistered PC, and the secure HDD21is set as a start device

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a start process;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)prioritized notification process;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an unregistered PC notificationprocess according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a process of an authenticationprogram according to a third embodiment; and

FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating hardware and functions of aregistered PC according to a fourth embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments, examples ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. Theembodiments are described below to explain the present invention byreferring to the figures. In the figures, dimensions and/or proportionsmay be exaggerated for clarity of illustration. It will also beunderstood that when an element is referred to as being “connected to”another element, it may be directly connected or indirectly connected,i.e., intervening elements may also be present. Further, it will beunderstood that when an element is referred to as being “between” twoelements, it may be the only element between the two elements, or one ormore intervening elements may also be present.

According to conventional technologies, a storage device may not notifyan execution of a leakage prevention process to an external device,depending on the status of a communication apparatus or mechanism.

Hereinafter, an embodiment will be specifically described by referringto accompanying drawings. A data storage system according to theembodiment includes; a data processor to which a storage device isconnected, and a server device that receives a notification informingthat a leakage prevention processing has been applied to the storagedevice. The server device may operate as a processing and storagedevice. An example of a computer that corresponds to the data processorincludes a desktop personal computer (PC), a laptop PC, a mobile phone,a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), and a portable game device. The dataprocessor is capable of connecting to a storage device. The dataprocessors are classified into registered devices that are registered toa storage device and unregistered devices that are not registered to thestorage device. An example of a device that corresponds to a storagedevice may include an HDD and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory. Amongdata processors, typically registered devices are permitted to read datafrom the storage device.

The registered device is an authorized data processor that is permittedto read data from the storage device, while the unregistered device isan unauthorized data processor that is not permitted to read data fromthe storage device. The data storage system monitors whether or not datastored in the storage device is read by and leaked to the unauthorizeddevice when the server device receives a notification transmitted fromeach data processor. The first embodiment will be described, forexample, when a data processor is a PC.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a data storage system. Referencenumerals 2 and 3 in FIG. 1 indicate PCs respectively. The referencenumeral 2 is a registered device that is registered beforehand. Thereference numeral 3 indicates an unregistered device that is notregistered beforehand. Hereinafter, the registered device 2 maysometimes be called a registered PC, while the unregistered device 3 maysometimes be called an unregistered PC. The data storage system mayinclude one or a plurality of the registered PC2 or unregistered PC3.The registered PC2 includes a secure hard disk drive (HDD) 21 that is astorage device for storing or reading confidential data. The registeredPC2 may be, for example, a laptop PC that is operated by an employee ina company and into which data for internal use only is stored, and maybe taken out of the company.

The unregistered PC3 may be a desktop PC to which the secure HDD21 takenout of the registered PC2 in an unauthorized manner may be connected andused by an unauthorized third party who is not permitted to read suchdata. A server device 5 may be, for example, a server device installedin the company. The registered PC2 and the unregistered PC3 may includea plurality of communication units that correspond to a Wireless WideArea Network (WWAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), and a Wireless LocalArea Network (WLAN) for connecting to a network N1.

The WWAN is a network using a mobile phone communication network etc.,and may be used by many people. The LAN is a network in which forexample, devices in the same building are connected by twisted-pairwires, coaxial cables, and optical fibers etc., and data is transmittedand received in the LAN. The WLAN is a network using wirelesscommunication among devices that comply with IEEE 802.11, etc. Theeffective communication range of the WLAN may be in stores or homes towhich wireless communication relays are installed. A wirelesscommunication station 6 that supports the WWAN and a wirelesscommunication station 7 that supports the WLAN are connected to thenetwork 1.

When the WWAN is selected as a transmission medium or mechanism, theregistered PC2 and the unregistered PC3 access the network N1 byperforming wireless communication with the wireless station 6 andconnect to the server device 5. Likewise, when the WLAN is selected as atransmission means, the registered PC2 and the unregistered PC3 accessthe network N1 by performing wireless communication with the wirelessstation 7 and connect to the server device 5. The registered PC2 may notnecessarily include all of the communication units that support WWAN,LAN, and WLAN and may include one or some of the communication units.The unregistered PC3 may not include the communication units.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware and functions of aregistered personal computer 2 according to the first embodiment. Theregistered PC2 may include a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 20 as anarithmetic processing unit that performs a central function, a chip set24 that controls transmission and reception of data to and from theCPU20, and a Random Access Memory (RAM) 22 that stores data and programsread from the secure HDD21. The chip set 24 connects the CPU20 and a busline, and functions as various controllers etc.

The registered PC2 includes an interface 23 for transmitting andreceiving data to and from the connected secure HDD21 and a GraphicsProcessing Unit (GPU) 27 that performs image processing. A plurality ofHDDs that includes the secure HDD21 may be connected to the interface23. A display unit 271 such as a liquid crystal display is connected tothe GPU 27. The registered PC2 includes a Non-volatile Random AccessMemory (NVRAM) 25, and an I/O interface 26. The I/O interface 26connects a communication component 261 for connecting to the network N1and a keyboard 262 and a mouse 263, by which a user performs inputoperation, to the CPU20 through a bus line.

The communication component 261 includes a WWAN communication unit 261a, a LAN communication unit 261 b, and a WLAN communication unit 261 c.The communication component 261 may not necessarily include all of theWWAN communication unit 261 a, the LAN communication unit 261 b, and theWLAN communication unit 261 c, and may include one or some of thecommunication units. Hereinafter, the WWAN communication unit 261 a, theLAN communication unit 261 b, and the WLAN communication unit 261 c aresimply called, WWAN, LAN, and WLAN.

The NVRAM25 is a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) to which power issupplied from a small battery and which retains stored information evenwhile no power is supplied from an external source. The NVRAM25 stores aBasic Input Output System (BIOS) 250 that is software for performinginput to and output from hardware, and an ID information 251 that isidentification information unique to each of the registered PC2. Thesecure HDD21 stores data transmitted from the CPU20 through the chipset24 and outputs stored data and programs to the RAM 22 through thechipset 24.

The secure HDD21 includes a storage unit 210 that stores data andprograms, a control unit 211 that controls storing and reading data toand from the storage unit 210, and an interface 212 that receives andtransmits data to and from the interface 23. The control unit 211permits or prohibits access to a user area, which will be describedlater, of the storage unit 210. The interface 212 and the interface 23comply with standards such as Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE),Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA), and USB standards. The interface212 and the interface 23 may comply with standards such as PersonalComputer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA).

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the content of the storage unit 210 ofthe secure hard disk drive (HDD). The storage unit 210 includes anauthentication area 210A to which access is typically permitted and auser area 210B to which access is permitted when the secure HDD21 isconnected to the registered PC2. The authentication area A of thestorage unit 210 stores an authentication program 21 b forauthenticating whether or not a connected PC is a registered PC, and anOperating System (OS) 21 a for executing the authentication program 21b. The authentication area 210A of the storage unit 210 stores a networklibrary 21 c that includes various drivers for connecting to the networkN1 by the communication component 261 when the authentication program 21b is running, and a connection destination list 21 d.

As one example of an authentication area 210A of the storage unit 210, aPre-Boot Authentication (PBA) area included in a HDD specificationdefined by Trusted Computing Group (TCG) in order to achieve securityfunctions for computers may be considered. Moreover, the storage unit210 stores a Master Boot Record (MBR), which is not illustrated. The MBRstores a program for calling a loader to start the OS21 a. The user area210B of the storage unit 210 stores an OS21 f that is started whenaccess is permitted. The user area 210B of the storage unit 210 becomescapable of storing and reading data through the chip set 24 and theinterface 23 when access is permitted by the control unit 211.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a record layout of the connectiondestination list 21 d. The connection destination list 21 d is stored inthe authentication area 210A of the storage unit 210 beforehand. Theconnection destination list 21 d includes communication units ofcomputers that include the registered PC2 or the unregistered PC3 andinformation of connection destinations when respective communicationunits are used. The example of FIG. 4 includes communication units forWWAN, LAN, and WLAN, and each of the communication units storesconnection destinations when communication is established through orwithout a Virtual Private Network (VPN). The VPN is a network, forexample, a company's LAN that is interconnected through an Internetnetwork N1. The connection destination stores information that specifiesplaces to which the server device 5 may be connected through the networkN1.

Information indicated in the connection destination is, for example,addresses that specify a Web device or a file server on the Internet towhich the server device 5 may connect, or an e-mail address throughwhich the server device 5 may receive an data. The Web device on theInternet to which the server device 5 may connect may be, for example, aWeb device that provides a blog service and stores execution resultstransmitted from the registered PC2 or the unregistered PC3 as needed.Information indicated in the connection destination is, for example, maybe an address of the server device 5 to which the communicationcomponent 261 directly connect to. The connection destination list 21 din FIG. 4, for example, stores “www.yyy.com” and “www.xxx.com.” The“www.yyy.com” is a connection destination connected through the VPN whenthe WWAN is selected, while the “www.yyy.com” is a connectiondestination that is connected without passing through the VPN when theWWAN is not selected.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional hard disk drive.The unregistered PC3 includes a conventional HDD 31 instead of thesecure HDD21 of the registered PC2. Moreover, the unregistered PC3 maynot be limited to that with the communication component 261, but may bethat without the communication component 261. A leakage preventionprocess, which will be described later, is not applied to theconventional HDD 31, and there is no limitation to store and read datato and from the conventional HDD 31. The conventional HDD 31 includes astorage unit 310 for storing data and programs, a control unit forcontrolling storing and reading data to and from the storage unit 310,and an interface 212.

The storage unit 310 does not include the authentication area 210A andthe user area 210B that are included in the storage unit 210 of thesecure HDD21, and access to the storage unit 310 is typically permitted.The storage unit 310 stores the OS21 f. The storage unit 310 stores aMBR, which is not illustrated, and the MBR stores a program for callinga loader to start the OS21 f. When the unregistered PC3 is turned on,the OS21 f is read from the storage unit 310 and is started to runvarious applications. The storage unit 310 stores various data providedto the conventional HDD31 from the CPU20 through the chip set 24, theinterface 23, and the interface 212.

The CPU20 of the registered PC2 and the unregistered PC3 reads andexecutes the authentication program 21 b when the secure HDD21 isconnected. Whether or not the connection destination of the secure HDD21is the registered PC2 is authenticated according to the authenticationprogram 21 b, and a leakage prevention process is executed to the secureHDD21 according to the authentication result. Likewise, the CPU20functions as an acquisition unit for acquiring the status of one or thestatuses of a plurality of communication units included in thecommunication component 261 according to the authentication program 21b, and functions as a selection unit for selecting one communicationunit. The CPU20 also functions as a notification unit for notifying anexecution of a leakage prevention process to the server device 5according to the authentication program 21 b, and as an informing unitfor indicating a message that prompts to connect to the registered PC2on the message display unit 271.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating hardware of the server device 5.The server device 5 includes a CPU 50 as an arithmetic processing unitthat performs a central function, a HDD 52 (processing and storagedevice) that stores data and programs, and a Random Access Memory (RAM)51 that stores programs read from the HDD 52. In the server device 5, acommunication unit 53 that connects to the network N1, and an operationunit 54 that includes a keyboard and a mouse are connected to the CPU 50through a bus line. The CPU 50 stores an execution result of a leakageprevention process that is received by the communication unit 53 fromthe registered PC2 or the unregistered PC3.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a registration process performed bythe registered PC2. The registration process is performed to storeinformation regarding the registered PC2 in the secure HDD21 so thatdata may be read typically by the registered PC2. The CPU20 of theregistered PC2 reads the ID information 251 from the NVRAM25 (OperationS11) and stores the ID information 251 in the authentication area of thestorage 210 in the secure HDD21 (Operation S12). The CPU20 acquires thetype of communication units included in the communication component 261(Operation S13) and reads the connection destination list 21 d from theauthentication area of the storage unit 210 (Operation S14).

The CPU20 acquires the statuses of the acquired communication units tothe respective communication destinations (Operation S15). In order toacquire the statuses, the status of whether the connection is effectiveor not may be acquired by trying to connect to a connection destinationfor each communication unit. The CPU20 stores the statuses of therespective communication units in the connection destination list 21 d(Operation S16) and completes the registration process. Accordingly, thestatuses of whether the connections to the destinations for a pluralityof the communication units included in the communication component 261of the registered PC2 are effective or not are stored together with theID information of the registered PC2 in the authentication area 210A ofthe storage unit 210 in the secure HDD21.

FIGS. 8A to 8C illustrate operation overviews when the secure HDD21, towhich the registration process illustrated in FIG. 7 is applied, isconnected to a registered PC2 or an unregistered PC3. In FIGS. 8A, 8B,and 8C, the horizontal axis indicates a time axis, and operationssequentially performed for the authentication area 210A and the userarea 210B of the storage unit 210 in the secure HDD21 are illustrated.Moreover, in FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C, the secure HDD21 is not set as astart device and the HDD21 functions as a HDD added after starting theregistered PC2 or the unregistered PC3.

FIG. 8A illustrates operations when the secure HDD21, to which noleakage prevention process is applied, is connected to the registeredPC2. When the secure HDD21 is connected to the registered PC2 afterstarting the registered PC2, a drive for the secure HDD21 is displayedin the display unit 271 of the registered PC2. Access to the user area210B of the secure HDD21 is prohibited by the control unit 211. Theauthentication program 21 b stored in the authentication area 210A isdisplayed in the display unit 271 as data stored in the drive.

When a user selects the authentication program 21 b displayed in thedisplay unit 271 through the keyboard 262 or the mouse 263 and providesan instruction to execute, the authentication program 21 b is read fromthe authentication area 210A. The CPU20 of the registered PC2authenticates the registered PC2 that is a connection destination of thesecure HDD21 by executing the authentication program 21 b. As a resultof the authentication, the registered PC2 is authenticated as theauthorized registered PC2 and access to the user area 210B is permittedby the control unit 211 of the secure HDD21 until the secure HDD21 iscut off from the registered PC2. When the secure HDD21 is connected tothe registered PC2 as described above, data stored in the user area maybe read by the registered PC2.

FIG. 8B illustrates when a secure HDD21, to which a leakage preventionprocess is already applied, is connected to the registered PC2. When theleakage prevention process, which will be described later, is applied tothe secure HDD21, the authentication area 210A of the storage unit 210stores the execution result. The execution result includes informationindicating that the leakage prevention process is executed, and the IDinformation 251 of an unregistered PC3 that is connected to the secureHDD21 when the leakage prevention process is executed. When the secureHDD21, to which the leakage prevention process is applied, is connectedto the registered PC2 after starting the registered PC2, a drive for thesecure HDD21 is displayed in the display unit 271 of the registered PC2as in the case of the secure HDD21 to which no leakage process isapplied.

Access to the user area 210B is prohibited by the control unit 211, andtypically the authentication program 21 b is displayed in the displayunit 271. When a user instructs an execution of the authenticationprogram 21 b, the CPU20 of the registered PC2 authenticates theregistered PC2 to which the secure HDD21 is connected and permits accessto the user area 210B through the control unit 211 of the secure HDD21.According to the authentication program 21 b, the CPU20 selectscommunication units that may be operated among the communicationcomponent 261 of the registered PC2 to which the secure HDD21 isconnected. The CPU20 notifies an execution of the leakage preventionprocess to the server device 5 by transmitting the execution resultstored in the authentication area 210A of the storage unit 210 by usingthe selected communication unit. The content of the notification to theserver device 5 is, for example, the ID information 251 of theunregistered PC3 to which the secure HDD21 is connected when the leakageprevention process is executed.

FIG. 8C illustrates when the secure HDD21 is connected to theunregistered PC3. When the secure HDD21 is connected to the unregisteredPC3 after starting the registered PC3, a drive for the secure HDD21 isdisplayed in the display unit 271 of the registered PC3. Access to theuser area 210B is prohibited by the control unit 211 and typically theauthentication program 21 b is displayed in the display unit 271. When auser instructs an execution of the authentication program 21 b, theCPU20 of the unregistered PC3 authenticates the unregistered PC3 as theunauthorized PC to which the secure HDD21 is connected and the controlunit 211 continues to prohibit access to the user area 210B.

The CPU20 executes a leakage prevention process to the secure HDD21according to the authentication program 21 b. The leakage preventionprocess is, for example, a process to erase data stored in the user area210B of the storage unit 210 in the secure HDD21 to prevent the datastored in the user area 210B from being read by the unregistered PC3.Moreover, the leakage prevention process may be a process in which thecontrol unit 211 prohibits all access to the storage unit 210.

The CPU20 of the unregistered PC3 to which the secure HDD21 is connectedselects an effective communication unit among those of communicationcomponent 261 of the unregistered PC3 to which the secure HDD21 isconnected. When the CPU20 of the unregistered PC3 selects an effectivecommunication unit among one or a plurality of communication unitsincluded in the communication component 261 of the unregistered PC3, theCPU20 notifies an execution of the leakage prevention process to theserver device 5 by transmitting the execution result by using theselected communication unit. When the CPU20 of the unregistered PC3 towhich the secure HDD21 is connected selects a communication unitincluded in the communication component 261 of the registered PC2, theCPU20 displays a message prompting the user who is operating theunregistered PC3 to connect to the registered PC2 in the display unit271 of the unregistered PC3 to which the secure HDD21 is connected.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process of the authenticationprogram 21 b according to the first embodiment executed by the CPU20.The authentication program 21 b is executed by the CPU20 of a computerto which the secure HDD21 is connected. The computer to which the secureHDD21 is connected may be a registered PC or an unregistered PC3. TheCPU20 reads the ID information 251 stored in the NVRAM25 and the IDinformation stored in the authentication area 210A of the storage unit210 in the secure HDD21 (Operation S51). The CPU20 determines whether ornot the two pieces of read ID information match or not (Operation S52).When the CPU20 determines the two pieces of information do not match (Noat Operation S52), the CPU20 executes a leakage prevention process tothe secure HDD21 so as to prevent data from being read by theunregistered PC3 (Operation S53). When the CPU20 determines the twopieces of information do not match, this indicates that the computer towhich the CPU20 is included is an unregistered PC3.

The leakage prevention process executed at Operation S53 may be erasingdata in the user area 210B as described above, or may be prohibiting allaccess to the storage 210.

The CPU20 stores the execution result of the leakage prevention processin the authentication area 210B of the storage unit 210 in the secureHDD21 (Operation S54). The execution result to be stored includes, forexample, information on whether erasing data in the user area 210Bsucceeds or not, information indicating the time and date when theleakage prevention process is executed, and the ID information 251 readfrom the NVRAM25 at the Operation S51. The CPU20 executes anunregistered PC notification process, which will be described later, tonotify an execution of the leakage prevention process to the serverdevice 5, which will be described later (Operation S55). The CPU20determines whether a notification is already transmitted or not by theunregistered PC notification process (Operation S56). When the CPU20determines a notification is not transmitted yet (No in Operation S56),the CPU20 completes the process.

When the CPU20 determines the notification is already transmitted (Yesat Operation S56), the CPU20 deletes the execution result stored in theauthentication area 210A of the storage unit 210 in the secure HDD21(Operation S60), and completes the process. The CPU20 determines whetheror not the execution result is stored in the authentication area of thestorage unit 210 in the secure HDD21 (Operation S58) when the CPU20determines the two pieces of information match (Yes at Operation S52).When the CPU20 determines the two pieces of information match atOperation S52, this indicates that the computer to which the CPU20 isincluded is the registered PC2. The CPU20 executes a registered PCnotification process, which will be described later, to notify anexecution of a leakage prevention process to the server device 5 fromthe registered PC2 (Operation S59), when the CPU20 determines that theexecution result is stored (Yes at Operation S58).

The CPU20 permits access to the user area 210B through the control unit211 of the secure HDD21 (Operation S61). Moreover, the CPU20 proceeds tothe Operation S61 when the CPU20 determines that the execution result isnot stored (No at Operation S58). The CPU20 deletes the execution resultfrom the authentication area of the secure HDD21 (Operation S60), andcompletes the process.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the unregistered PC notificationprocess according to the first embodiment executed by the CPU20. Theunregistered PC notification process is executed by the CPU20 atOperation S55 in FIG. 9. Hence, the CPU20 that executes the unregisteredPC notification process is the CPU20 included in the unregistered PC3.The CPU20 acquires information regarding one or a plurality ofcommunication units included in the communication component 261(Operation S71). The connection destination list 21 d is read from theauthentication area 210A of the storage area 210 in the secure HDD21(Operation S72). The CPU20 acquires the status of one or a plurality ofthe communication units acquired at Operation S71 by trying to connectto the connection destinations stored in the connection destination list21 d (Operation S73). The CPU20 determines whether any operablecommunication unit exists in one or a plurality of the communicationunits acquired at Operation S71 (Operation S74).

When the CPU20 determines that any operable, effective communicationunit exists (Yes at Operation S74), the CPU20 determines whether or notany effective LAN exists among those effective communication units(Operation S75). When the CPU20 determines that an effective LAN exists(Yes at Operation S75), the CPU20 selects the LAN as a communicationunit to use for transmitting a notification to the server device 5(Operation S77). When the CPU20 determines there is no effective LAN (Noat Operation S75), the CPU20 selects another effective communicationunit to use for transmitting a notification to the server device 5(Operation S76).

The CPU20 transmits the execution result using the selectedcommunication unit (Operation S78). The CPU20 determines whether thetransmission succeeds or not (Operation S79). When the CPU20 determinesthat the transmission fails (No at Operation S79), the CPU20 determineswhether or not all of the effective communication units are alreadyselected (Operation S80). When the CPU20 determines that not all of theeffective communication units are selected in the connection destinationlist 21 d (No at Operation S80), the CPU20 returns to the Operation S76for selecting another effective communication unit.

When the CPU20 determines that all of the effective communication unitsare selected (Yes at Operation S80), the CPU20 displays a request toconnect to the registered PC2 in the display unit 271 (Operation S81),and completes the process. When the CPU20 determines that all of theeffective communication units are selected at the Operation S80, thisindicates that there is no effective communication unit in theunregistered PC3 to which the CPU20 is included. Thus, the CPU20 outputsa request to connect the secure HDD to another computer which isdifferent from the computer to which the CPU20 is included, in otherwords, another computer that may have an effective communication unit.

The connection request, for example, “Connect hard disk to registeredPC.” may be displayed. When the CPU20 determines that the transmissionsucceeds at the Operation S79 (Yes at Operation S79), the CPU20completes the process. When the CPU20 determines that there is noeffective communication unit at the Operation S74 (No at the OperationS74), the CPU20 proceeds to the Operation S81 that displays a connectionrequest in the display unit 271. The reason why the effectiveness of theLAN is determined prior to other communication units at Operation S75 isthat the transmission and reception of data through a LAN, which is awired communication, are less likely to fluctuate. Thus using LANinstead of WWAN or WLAN may reduce the possibility of a failure intransmitting a notification to the server 5 due to an unstablecommunication status.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the registered PC notificationprocess executed by the CPU20. The registered PC notification process isexecuted by the CPU20 at Operation S59 in FIG. 9. Therefore, the CPU20that executes the registered PC notification process is the CPU20included in the registered PC2. Prior to the process, as in theOperation S71 in FIG. 10, the CPU20 may acquire one or a plurality ofcommunication units included in the communication component 261. TheCPU20 reads the connection destination list 21 d stored in theauthentication area 210A of the storage unit 210 in the secure HDD21(Operation S91). The CPU20 determines whether or not any effective WWANexists by trying to connect to communication destinations thatcorrespond to the WWAN information stored in the connection destinationlist 21 d (Operation S92). When the CPU20 determines there is aneffective WWAN (Yes at Operation S92), the CPU20 selects the WWAN as acommunication unit to use for transmitting a notification to the serverdevice 5 (Operation S94). When the CPU20 determines there is noeffective WWAN (No at Operation S92), the CPU20 selects anothereffective communication unit to use for transmitting a notification tothe server device 5 (Operation S93). The CPU20 transmits the executionresult to the server device 5 using the selected communication result(Operation S95).

The CPU20 determines whether or not the transmission succeeds (OperationS96). When the CPU20 determines that the transmission fails (No atOperation S96), the CPU20 determines whether or not all of the effectivecommunication units are already selected from the connection destinationlist 21 d (Operation S97). When the CPU20 determines that not all of theeffective communication units are selected in the connection destinationlist 21 d (No at Operation S97), the CPU20 proceeds to the Operation S93for selecting another effective communication unit. When the CPU20determines that all of the effective communication units are alreadyselected (Yes at Operation S97), the CPU20 completes the process. Whenthe CPU20 determines that the transmission succeeds at Operation S96(Yes at Operation S96), the CPU20 completes the process. The reason whythe effectiveness of the WWAN is determined prior to other communicationunits at Operation S96 is that selecting the WWAN that provides widecommunication coverage may reduce the possibility of a failure intransmitting a notification to the server 5.

FIGS. 12A to 12C illustrate operation overviews when the secure HDD isconnected to the registered PC or unregistered PC, and the secure HDD21is set as a start device. In FIGS. 12A to 12C, the horizontal axisindicates a time axis, and operations sequentially performed for theauthentication area 210A and the user area 210B of the storage unit 210in the secure HDD21 are illustrated. In FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C, the secureHDD21 is not set as a start device, whereas in FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12C,a case in which a secure HDD21 connected to the registered PC2 or theunregistered PC3 is set as a start device.

FIG. 12A illustrates an operation when the registered PC2 is turned onafter a secure HDD21, to which no leakage prevention process is applied,is connected to the registered PC2. Access to the user area 210B of thestorage unit 210 in the secure HDD21 is prohibited by the control unit211. When the registered PC2 is turned on, the OS21 a stored in theauthentication area 210A of the storage unit 210 is read and started.The authentication program 21 b that runs on the started OS21 a is read.The CPU20 of the registered PC2 authenticates the registered PC2 towhich the secure HDD21 is connected by running the authenticationprogram 21 b. As a result of the authentication, the registered PC2 isauthenticated as the authorized registered PC2, and the control unit 211of the secure HDD21 permits access to the user area 210B until theregistered PC2 is turned off. Accordingly, when the secure HDD21 isconnected to the registered PC2, data stored in the user area 210B maybe read.

FIG. 12B illustrates an operation when the registered PC2 is turned onafter a secure HDD21, to which a leakage prevention process is applied,is connected to the registered PC2. When the secure HDD21 to which theleakage prevention process is applied is connected to the registeredPC2, as in the case of the secure HDD21 to which no leakage preventionprocess is applied is connected to the registered PC2, access to theuser area 210B is prohibited by the control unit 211. The CPU20 startsthe OS21 a stored in the authentication area 210A and executes theauthentication program 21 b. According to the authentication program 21b, the CPU20 authenticates the registered PC2 to which the secure HDD21is connected as the authorized registered PC2, and access to the userarea 210B is permitted by the control unit 211 of the secure HDD21. TheCPU20 selects an effective communication unit among those ofcommunication component 261 of the registered PC2 to which the secureHDD21 is connected according to the authentication program 21 b. TheCPU20 notifies the execution of the leakage prevention process to theserver device 5 by transmitting the execution result stored in theauthentication area 210A of the storage unit 210 using the selectedcommunication unit.

FIG. 12C illustrates an operation when the unregistered PC3 is turned onafter a secure HDD21 is connected to the unregistered PC3. When thesecure HDD21 is connected to the unregistered PC3, as in the case ofwhen the secure HDD21 is connected to the registered PC2, the controlunit 211 prohibits access to the user area 210B. The CPU20 starts theOS21 a stored in the authentication area 210A and executes theauthentication program 21 b. According to the authentication program 21b, the CPU20 recognizes the unregistered PC3 connected to the secureHDD21 as an unauthorized registered PC3, and the control unit 211continues to prohibit access to the user area 210B. Moreover, the CPU20executes the leakage prevention process to the secure HDD21 according tothe authentication program 21 b.

According to the authentication program 21 b, the CPU20 selects acommunication unit from the communication component 261 of theregistered PC2, or the communication component 261 of the unregisteredPC3 to which the secure HDD21 is connected. When a communication unit isselected from the communication component 261 of the unregistered PC3 towhich the secure HDD21 is connected, an execution of the leakageprevention process is notified to the server device 5 by transmittingthe execution result to the server device 5 using the selectedcommunication unit. When a communication unit in the communicationcomponent 261 of the registered PC2 is selected, the CPU20 displays amessage prompting to connect to the registered PC2 in the display unit271 of the unregistered PC3.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a start process executed by theCPU20. The start process is executed by the CPU20 when a computerconnected to the secure HDD21 is turned on. The computer to which thesecure HDD21 is connected may be a registered PC2 or an unregisteredPC3. The CPU20 reads and starts BIOS250 from the NVRAM25 (OperationS31). The CPU20 initializes each device by the started BIOS250(Operation S32). The CPU20 searches for devices to start by BIOS250(Operation S33), and starts the OS21 a stored in the authentication area210A of the storage area 210 in the secure HDD21 that is a start device(Operation S34). The CPU20 executes the authentication program 21 bstored in the authentication area 210A (Operation S35).

The process executed by the authentication program 21 b is substantiallythe same as the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 9 and, therefore will notbe described here. The CPU20 determines whether or not access to theuser area 210B is permitted by executing the authentication program 21 b(Operation S36). When the CPU20 determines that the access is alreadypermitted (Yes at Operation S36), the CPU20 starts the OS21 f stored inthe user area 210B (Operation S37), and completes the start process.When the CPU20 determines that the access is not permitted (No atOperation S36), the CPU20 completes the start process.

According to the first embodiment, a case is described in which a secureHDD21 is connected to an unregistered PC3, a communication unit in theunregistered PC3 is preferentially selected, and a notification istransmitted to the server device 5. However, the first embodiment is notlimited to the above described case. For example, a WWAN provided by theregistered PC2 is preferentially selected and a message indicating thesecure HDD21 is connected to the registered PC2 may be displayed. Inthis case, a WWAN prioritized notification process, which will bedescribed later, may be executed instead of the unregistered PCnotification process executed at Operation S55 by the authenticationprogram 21 b in FIG. 9.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a WWAN prioritized notificationprocess. The CPU20 reads the connection destination list 21 d stored inthe authentication area 210A (Operation S101) and determines whether ornot any effective WWAN exists by trying to connect to a communicationdestination that corresponds to WWAN information stored in theconnection destination list 21 d (Operation S102). When the CPU20determines there is an effective WWAN (Yes at Operation S102), the CPU20displays a request to connect to the registered PC2 (Operation S103),and completes the WWAN prioritized notification process. When the CPU20determines there is no effective WWAN (No at Operation S102), the CPU20executes the unregistered PC notification process illustrated in FIG. 10(Operation S55) and completes the WWAN prioritized notification process.When the registered PC2 includes an effective WWAN, selecting the WWANthat may be used by many users and prompting to connect to theregistered PC2 enables to reduce the possibility of a failure intransmitting a notification to the server 5.

At Operation S60 in FIG. 9, when an execution result of a leakageprevention process is transmitted to the server device 5, the executionresult is deleted from the authentication area 210A of the storage unit210 in the secure HDD21. However, the embodiment is not limited to this.For example, when an unregistered PC3 transmits an execution result tothe server device 5, the execution result may not be deleted from theauthentication area 210A. In this case, the execution result of theleakage prevention process is transmitted from both the unregistered PC3and the registered PC2 to the server device 5. Thus, even when theresult is not transmitted from either one of the computers due to a badtransmission status, the possibility of failure in transmitting thenotification to the server 5 may be reduced.

According to the embodiment, when a leakage prevention process isexecuted to the secure HDD21, an effective communication unit isselected based on the statuses of communication units included in theregistered PC2 or the unregistered PC3. The execution result of theleakage prevention process is notified to the server device 5 using theselected effective communication unit. Accordingly, a possibility offailure in transmitting the notification to the server device 5 may bereduced. The execution result notified from the registered PC2 or theunregistered PC3 to the server device 5 includes, for example, anInternet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the communication component261, and Media Access Control (MAC) address of a network device thatcorresponds to each communication unit.

Moreover, the execution result may include, for example, anidentification ID included in the OS21 f that is started in theunregistered PC3. Accordingly, an unregistered PC3 that is connected tothe secure HDD21 when a leakage prevention process is executed may beidentified. The execution result notified to the server device 5 mayinclude license information of the OS21 f, or an application that isstarted in the unregistered PC3. As a result, a user of the unregisteredPC3 to which the secure HDD21 is connected when the leakage preventionprocess is executed may be identified.

According to the first embodiment, a built-in hard disk is described asan example of a storage device. However, the embodiment is not limitedto this and an external hard disk or a USB memory may be used. Moreover,the embodiment is not limited to the OS21 a that is stored in theauthentication area 210A, and the OS21 f is stored in the user area 210Band functions as the start device. For example, typically theauthentication program 21 b is stored in the authentication area 210Aand functions typically as a storage device. The registered PC and theunregistered PC3 are not limited to those that include WWAN, WLAN, andLAN as communication units, but may include a near field communication(NFC) and Body Area Network (BAN). The NFC complies with standards forBluetooth® that carries out near field communication using a wirelesssignal of, for example, a 2.4 GHz band. The BAN is short-distancewireless communication near the human body that utilizes weak currentflows present in a human body, and an electric field generated at thesurface of the human body. In this case, a notification is transmittedto the server device 5 by connecting to the registered PC2 or theunregistered PC3 through the short-distance wireless communication orthe BAN and by using a communication unit included in the registered PC2and the unregistered PC3.

A case is described in which the unregistered PC3 stores the IDinformation 251 in the NVRAM25, however, the ID information 251 may notbe stored. In this case, when the ID information 251 is not stored inthe NVRAM25 of the unregistered PC3 to which the secure HDD21 isconnected, the authentication program 21 b may recognize theunregistered PC3 as the unauthorized unregistered PC3.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an unregistered PC notificationprocess according to the second embodiment. In the unregistered PCnotification process according to the first embodiment, a communicationunit is selected based on the results of the acquired statuses ofrespective communication units included in the unregistered PC3. On theother hand, according to the second embodiment, each of thecommunication units are sequentially selected and notified to the serverdevice 5. The unregistered PC notification process according to thesecond embodiment is executed at Operation S55 by the authenticationprogram 21 b illustrated in FIG. 9. The CPU20 acquires communicationunits included in the communication component 261 of the unregisteredPC3 (Operation S111), and reads a connection destination list 21 d fromthe authentication area 210A of the storage area 210 in the secure HDD21(Operation S112).

The CPU20 selects one communication unit from the acquired communicationunits (Operation S113). The CPU20 transmits the execution result to theserver device 5 using the selected communication unit (Operation S114).The CPU20 determines whether or not the transmission succeeds (OperationS115). When the CPU20 determines that the transmission fails (No atOperation S115), the CPU20 determines whether or not all of theeffective communication units included in the communication component261 of the unregistered PC3 are already selected (Operation S116).

When the CPU20 determines that not all of the effective communicationunits are selected (No at Operation S116), the CPU20 selects anothercommunication unit (Operation S117), and returns to the Operation S114.When the CPU20 determines that all of the effective communication unitsare already selected (Yes at Operation S116), the CPU20 displays arequest to connect to the registered PC2 in the display unit 271(Operation S118), and completes the unregistered PC notificationprocess. When the CPU20 determines that the transmission succeeds atOperation S115 (Yes at Operation S115), the CPU20 completes theunregistered PC notification process.

According to the embodiment, when the secure HDD21 executes a leakageprevention process, a plurality of communication units included in theunregistered PC3 and the registered PC2 are sequentially selected. Anattempt is made to transmit the execution result of the leakageprevention process to the server device 5 using the selectedcommunication units until the transmission succeeds. Accordingly, thepossibility of a failure in transmitting a notification to the server 5may be reduced.

The second embodiment is as described above, and other descriptions aresubstantially the same as those of the first embodiment. Thus, the samereference numerals and process names are applied to the correspondingelements and processes, and a detailed description will not be provided.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a CPU 20according to an authentication program 21 b of the third embodiment.According to the first and the second embodiments, an execution resultis deleted when a notification to the server device 5 succeeds, whereasaccording to the third embodiment, an execution result is maintained inthe authentication area 210A of a storage unit 210. The CPU20 reads theID information 251 stored in the NVRAM25 and the ID information storedin the authentication area of the storage unit 210 in the secure HDD21(Operation S131). The CPU20 determines whether or not the two pieces ofread ID information match (Operation S132).

When the CPU20 determines the two pieces of read ID information do notmatch (No at Operation S132), the CPU20 executes the leakage preventionprocess to the secure HDD21 (Operation S133). The CPU20 stores theexecution result of the leakage prevention process in the authenticationarea 210A of the secure HDD21 (Operation S134). The CPU20 executes theunregistered PC notification process illustrated in FIG. 10 (OperationS55). The CPU20 determines whether or not a notification is alreadytransmitted by the unregistered PC notification process (OperationS136). When the CPU20 determines that the notification is nottransmitted (No at Operation S136), the CPU20 completes the process. AtOperation S55 in FIG. 16, the unregistered PC notification processillustrated in FIG. 15 may be executed instead of the unregistered PCnotification process illustrated in FIG. 10.

When the CPU20 determines that the notification is already transmitted(Yes at Operation S136), the CPU20 stores the notification result in theauthentication area 210A of the secure HDD21 (Operation S140), andcompletes the process. The notification result may include, for example,information that indicates an execution result is transmitted to theserver device 5. Moreover, the notification result may includeinformation indicating the transmission date and time. When the CPU20determines the two pieces of data match at Operation S132 (Yes atOperation S132), the CPU20 determines whether or not the executionresult that is not transmitted is stored in the authentication area 210Aof the secure HDD21 (Operation S137). When the execution result isstored in the authentication area 210A while the notification result isnot stored in the authentication area 210A, the execution result may bedetermined to be not notified yet.

When the execution result is stored in the authentication area 210Awhile the notification result is stored in the authentication area 210A,whether or not the execution result is notified may be determined byreferring to the notification result. When the CPU20 determines that theunsent execution result notification is stored (Yes at Operation S137),the CPU20 executes the registered PC notification process (OperationS59). The CPU20 permits access to the user area through the control unit211 (Operation S139). Moreover, when the CPU20 determines the executionresult that is not transmitted is not stored at Operation S137 (No atOperation S137), the CPU20 proceeds to Operation S139.

The CPU20 stores a notification result in the authentication area 210Aof the secure HDD21 (Operation S140), and completes the process. Asdescribed above, even when an execution result is transmitted from theregistered PC2 or the unregistered PC3 to the server device 5, theexecution result is not deleted from, but is maintained in theauthentication area 210A of the storage unit 210 in the secure HDD21.For example, when a stolen secure HDD21 is returned to a user whooperates a registered PC2, the execution results and notificationresults stored in the authentication area 210A of the storage unit 210in the secure HDD21 may be read.

The third embodiment is as described above, and other descriptions aresubstantially the same as those of the first and the second embodiments.Thus, the same reference numerals and process names are applied to thecorresponding elements and processes, and a detailed description willnot be provided.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware and functions of aregistered PC according to a fourth embodiment. According to the fourthembodiment, an authentication program 21 b that is read from a storageunit 8 is stored in the storage unit 210 of the secure HDD21, whereasaccording to the first embodiment, the authentication program 21 b isstored in the storage unit 210 of the secure HDD21. A registered PC9includes a storage medium reading unit 91. A CPU20 reads theauthentication program 21 b from the storage unit 8 inserted into thestorage media reading unit 91 and stores the authentication program 21 bin an authentication area 210A of the storage unit 210 in the secureHDD21. Storing the authentication program 21 b into the authenticationarea 210A may be performed, for example, when performing theregistration process illustrated in FIG. 7. The CPU20 determines whetheror not the ID information 251 read from the NVRAM25 matches with IDinformation stored in the authentication area 210A of the storage unit210 in the secure HDD21. When the CPU20 determines the two pieces ofinformation do not match, the CPU20 applies the leakage preventionprocess to the secure HDD21. The CPU20 acquires communication unitsincluded in a communication component 261 and selects a communicationunit based on the statuses of respective communication units. The CPU20notifies an execution of the leakage prevention process to a serverdevice 5 by using the selected communication unit.

The authentication program 21 b is not limited to that read from thestorage unit 8, but may be an authentication program 21 b that isobtained by establishing communication with an external computer, whichis not illustrated, and downloading to the storage unit 210 of thesecure HDD21.

The fourth embodiment is as described above, and other descriptions aresubstantially the same as those of the first to the third embodiments.Thus, the same reference numerals and process names are applied to thecorresponding elements and processes, and a detailed description willnot be provided.

The embodiments may be implemented in computing hardware (computingapparatus) and/or software, such as (in a non-limiting example) anycomputer that can store, retrieve, process and/or output data and/orcommunicate with other computers. The results produced may be displayedon a display of the computing hardware. A program/software implementingthe embodiments may be recorded on computer-readable media comprisingcomputer-readable recording media. The program/software implementing theembodiments may also be transmitted over transmission communicationmedia. Examples of the computer-readable recording media include amagnetic recording apparatus, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk,and/or a semiconductor memory (for example, RAM, ROM, etc.). Examples ofthe magnetic recording apparatus include a hard disk device (HDD), aflexible disk (FD), and a magnetic tape (MT). Examples of the opticaldisk include a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a DVD-RAM, a CD-ROM(Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), and a CD-R (Recordable)/RW. An exampleof transmission communication media includes a carrier-wave signal.However, the media described above may be non-transitory media.

All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended forpedagogical objects to aid the reader in understanding the invention andthe concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and areto be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recitedexamples and conditions. Although the embodiment(s) of the presentinventions have been described in detail, it should be understood thatthe various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made heretowithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium forrecording a program allowing a computer to: execute a process fordetermining whether first identification information of the computermatches with second identification information stored in thecomputer-readable medium connected to the computer; execute a processfor protecting data stored in the computer-readable medium when it isdetermined that the first identification information and the secondidentification information do not match; execute a process for selectinga communication interface included in the computer to transmit anotification that the process for protecting the data has been executedand controlling the selected communication interface based on a networkdriver stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to transmitthe notification, wherein the computer-readable medium is one of a harddisk drive and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory drive configured tobe removably connected to the computer; acquire statuses of one or morecommunication interfaces included in the computer; and select thecommunication interface based on the acquired statues.
 2. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 1, whereinthe process for selecting includes selecting the communication interfacefrom one or more communication interfaces included in the computer andone or more communication interfaces included in a different computer towhich the computer-readable medium is not connected, and the programfurther allowing the computer to: store information regarding theexecution of the process for protecting the data into thecomputer-readable medium when the communication interface included inthe different computer is selected.
 3. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the process forselecting includes selecting the communication interface from one ormore communication interfaces included in the computer and one or morecommunication interfaces included in a different computer to which thecomputer-readable medium is not connected, and the program furtherallowing the computer to: output a message prompting to connect thecomputer-readable medium to the different computer when thecommunication interface included in the different computer is selected.4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 2,wherein the program further allowing the computer to: determine whetherthe information regarding the execution of the process for protectingthe data is stored in the computer-readable medium; and controltransmitting the information regarding the execution of the process forprotecting the data via the selected communication interface included inthe different computer when it is determined that the informationregarding the execution of the process for protecting the data isstored.
 5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according toclaim 1, wherein the program further allowing the computer to: read anaddress of a transmission destination to which information regarding theexecution of the process for protecting the data is to be transmittedfrom a plurality of information regarding addresses to which thecomputer is accessible through a network, and which is stored in thecomputer-readable medium.
 6. A data processing system comprising: astorage device; and a computer connected to the storage device, thecomputer including one or more communication interfaces, and a processorconfigured to execute a process stored in the storage device fordetermining whether first identification information of the computermatches with second identification information stored in the storagedevice, execute a process stored in the storage device for protectingdata stored in the storage device when it is determined that the firstidentification information and the second identification information donot match execute a process stored in the storage device for selecting acommunication interface from the one or more communication interfaces totransmit a notification that the process for protecting the data hasbeen executed and controlling the selected communication interface basedon a network driver stored in the storage device to transmit thenotification, wherein the storage device is one of a hard disk drive anda Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory drive configured to be removablyconnected to the computer, select the communication interface from theone or more communication interfaces included in the computer and one ormore communication interfaces included in a different computer to whichthe storage device is not connected, and store, when the processorselects the communication interface included in the different computer,information regarding the execution of the process for protecting thedata into the storage device.
 7. The data processing system according toclaim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to: acquirestatuses of the one or more communication interfaces; and select thecommunication interface based on the acquired statuses.
 8. The dataprocessing system according to claim 6, wherein the processor isconfigured to: select the communication interface from the one or morecommunication interfaces included in the computer and one or morecommunication interfaces included in a different computer to which thestorage device is not connected; and control a display device to outputa message prompting to connect the storage device to the differentcomputer when the communication interface included in the differentcomputer is selected.
 9. A data processing system comprising: a storagedevice; and a computer connected to the storage device, the computerincluding one or more communication interfaces, a processor configuredto execute a process stored in the storage device for determiningwhether first identification information of the computer matches withsecond identification information stored in the storage device, executea process stored in the storage device for protecting data stored in thestorage device upon determining that the first identificationinformation and the second identification information do not match, andexecute a process for selecting a communication interface from the oneor more communication interfaces included in the computer and one ormore communication interfaces included in a different computer to whichthe storage device is not connected to transmit a notification that theprocess for protecting the data has been executed, and a display deviceconfigured to output a message prompting to connect the storage deviceto the different computer when the communication interface included inthe different computer is selected, wherein the processor is configuredto control the selected communication interface based on a networkdriver stored in the storage device to transmit the notification whenthe storage device is connected to the different computer.
 10. Anon-transitory computer-readable medium including a program causing acomputer to: drive a communication of a computer connected to thenon-transitory computer-readable medium based on a network driver storedin the non-transitory computer-readable medium when it is determinedthat the computer is not permitted to access data stored in thenon-transitory computer-readable medium; output a notification that aprocess of protecting the data stored in the computer-readable mediumhas been executed via the driven communication function of the computerwhen it is determined that the computer is not allowed to access thedata, wherein the computer-readable medium is one of a hard disk driveand a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory drive configured to be removablyconnected to the computer; acquire statuses of one or more communicationinterfaces included in the computer; and select a communicationinterface based on the acquired statuses.
 11. A method comprising:driving a communication function of a computer connected to anon-transitory computer-readable medium based on a network driver storedin the non-transitory computer-readable medium when it is determinedthat the computer is not permitted to access data stored in thenon-transitory computer-readable medium; outputting a notification thata process of protecting the data stored in the computer-readable mediumhas been executed via the driven communication function of the computerwhen it is determined that the computer is not allowed to access thedata, wherein the computer-readable medium is one of a hard disk driveand a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory drive configured to be removablyconnected to the computer; acquiring statuses of one or morecommunication interfaces included in the computer, and selecting acommunication interface based on the acquired statuses.